Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1887-04-07
WHAT 10 TO BE IN RAILROAD
PROSPECTS,

The movement of railroad companies
for the six months ensuing, are mythica
to great extent. At one time it il
predicted that president Smith and his
company, with their holdings Of LAG
shares out of 24O shares Of the Oregon
Transcontinental stock which has the
bonds Of the Northern Pacific for money
advanced to complete the Northern
Pacific as far as Wallula, will be able to
get control of the Northern Pacific and
be able to prevent the early completion
of the Cascade branch. This was fail
ure. Then it was announced that the
contemplated lease of the 0. r. l. N.
by the Union Pacific was of, for reasons
that the U. p. would not guaranty six
per cent. upon $4O,OOO,0Oo, that the
almost certainty Of carly competition Of
the N. p. branch road to the Sound,
could result in nothing less than an
abstract from the business Of the 0. r.
l.. N, large share Of the freight and
make it unsafe to promise to pay the six
per cent. Then we heard that the
o. R. & N, propose that they will either
lease or sell to the Union Pacific, and
the latest we hear given out is that the
U. p, accepted one Of these terms and
will soon assume control of the 0. r. Il
~, properties. But Of the truth Of this
last, the public is ignorant as yet. The
Union Pacific move very slow in regard
to their building in the west. They
have been for several years prospecting
with their surveys in different directions
but all to little purpose so far as deter
mining to build on any of the routes
surveyed. We have inferred from their
movements that they have been deferred
by the different propositions ofthe 0. r.
h N, to give them through route to
Portland such as they would feel safe in
accepting permanently. While this
delay has been going on tho Q. R. 4 N.
have been extending branch lines into
the very country which would have been
supplied by tho U. p, had they pushed
their building, as they first contemplated.
Now if they lease they will have to pay
to the 0. r. 4 n, large per cent. and
if they buy, instead Of lease, they will
nave IL pay mare than it would have
cost them to build, at the time they first
determined upon an outlet to the Pacific
aud had an advantage over the N. p,
which they cannot acquire now by pur.
chase Of the 0. R. d N, property. We
now have the announcement that the
U. P. have commenced grading line up
the Weiser with the purpose Of building
on to Lewiston. Such road will open
some good country, but much of the
way the grades will be heavy, and the
expense Of construction great, and about
fifty miles of the road will be liable to
deep and drifting Slows in winter.
From what engineers have informed US
the road down Snake river canyon will
be as easy to build and DO very low
grade, and seldom, if ever, 10 the least
interfered with by snow. One or two
short bends in the river will necessitate
short tunnels. 1t will make accessible
some valuable mines Of silver and copper
and at several points along the line the
river can be approached from producing
sections of no mean value for settlement
With comparative ease which are now un.
approschable from other directions than
from the river. Either route will an.
initiate the distractions to communica-
ton between North and South Idaho,
for those who can afford to travel by
rail, and will give to the North another
outlet to the east, although not SO short
and direct as via the Bitter Root and the
Utah Northern, and neither will open
up 30 much valuable country tor settle.
mcnt, as We have been reliably informed
as would the Bitter Root route. But
the .. P. Co., we suppose know their
own business, and they are the bosses. |
We viii be benefited by the construction
over any one of the rontes name1 and
will have no reason to complain if any
ono Of them is constructed within a
reasonable time, SO as to afford us relief
from the pent up situation Of Nee Perez
and Idaho counties, the oldest, richest
and most desirable counties of Idaho
Territory for settlement of an agricul-
tural population. Further development
Ut what the prospects are we suppose will
soon be made.
Spokane Falls the Obiectiouabl.
Point